Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship: Recent Episodes
Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship
Our church discusses the first part of Revelation 4.
This is a re-published podcast, since the previous version was only a partial file.
Donna, Becki, Joe, and John discuss the very convicting passage in James regarding slander about fellow believers.
Donna (by phone), Becki, Joe, and John talk about Psalm 101 in preparation for the upcoming Sunday message.
Donna, Eric, and Joe answer John's questions regarding this famous episode in Jesus' life. Eric is a guest participant, substituting for Becki.
We compare and contrast the 7 letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3, looking for general themes and insights.
Donna, DJ, Becki, and John discuss the difficult passage containing the story of how John the Baptist was beheaded.
Tonight we discuss the content of Jesus' letter to the Church in Sardis, from Revelation 3:1-6.
Becki, Donna, Joe, and John talk with DJ to help DJ prepare for the message this upcoming Sunday from the Gospel of John's description of Jesus' first appearing to a human after his resurrection - to Mary Magdelene.
DJ, Donna, Becki, Joe, and John discuss Revelation 1:17-18 in preparation for Easter Sunday, 2024
DJ, Donna, Becki, Joe, and John discuss James 3:13-18, contrasting wisdom from the earth and wisdom from heaven.
Donna, DJ, Becki, Joe, and John discuss James 3:1-12 in preparation for the message coming up on March 17.
Donna, DJ, Becki, and John discuss James 2:14-26 regarding the teaching about the relationship between faith and works.
Pastor John leads a discussion regarding the letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum.
DJ, Donna, Becki and John discuss the portion of James where we are told to not practice favoritism.
We discuss the 2nd letter to the seven churches - the letter to the angel of the church of Smyrna.
DJ, Donna, Becki, and John discuss the development of Jacob's spiritual life, as he finally finds God as his true blessing.
We discuss the nature of the 7 churches, and in particular the details of Jesus' letter to the church in Ephesus.
We learn about the Person of Jesus from Revelation chapter 1, specifically his offices of prophet, priest, and king. The description of his appearance in his glory, and the evidence of his growing personal experiences - as touching his human nature.
DJ, Donna, and John talk about James 1:26-27 in preparation for a message entitled "Pure Religion".
Sunday Night Church, 11/19/23. A special Thanksgiving service of testimonies and thanksgiving to God.
Becki, DJ, Donna, and John discuss James 1:19-26 in preparation for upcoming Sunday message(s).
Donna, Becki, DJ, and John discuss Psalms 96, 97, & 98 in preparation for the message on Sunday morning, 11/05/23
Donna, DJ, Becki, and John talk about Matthew 12:38-45 in preparation for this upcoming Sunday's morning message.
John, DJ, and Donna discuss James 1:13-18 in preparation for the Sunday morning message scheduled for October 15, 2023.
John, Donna, Becki and DJ discuss Isaiah 55:1-3 to help DJ prepare for his message from this passage for Sunday, 10/08/23
This is the first episode in a new series! John, Donna, Becki, and DJ discuss Psalm 95 to help prepare for this upcoming Sunday's morning message.
The first in a 4 week series on the relationship between Christianity and Science, taught by Joe Dubois.
The original message was not recorded, so Pastor John recorded his own version after the fact. May it encourage and comfort you -- our dear sister Gail is now with her Lord and Savior.
What choose to wear – what we use to clothe ourselves - often shows who we are. What are you wearing?
Have you ever heard of the power of the Holy Spirit? What is the most powerful thing that the Holy Spirit has ever done? What is the most powerful thing that He can do for you?
It is difficult to live for Jesus. The Bible describes this life in the Spirit as warfare. Why is it so hard? Why does God put us in this place where we battle within ourselves? Is it worth the effort?
Are you willing to follow Jesus? What if you do not know where he is going – are you still willing to follow him? What if you must leave your home and family to follow him? What must be true to motivate us to follow him no matter what?
We often believe that we can fix our life problems by working harder. It seems like “working harder” often works. But does it?
What we think and how we live depends on our sources. We see this in popular culture as well – the voices we listen to are the ones that influence us the most. What does Jesus want for us? Which source(s) does he want us learning from and leaning on? His answer to those questions makes all the difference for how we live.
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." Matthew 5:10
"No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another." Psalm 75:6-7
Those with whom we spend the most time are the ones who influence us. What then will be like when we spend more and more time with Jesus? We want to walk through life close to Jesus.
Sorry for the old recording, we are catching up on our archive this week! (This is the last of the 2021 messages)
When we wash a car, the water and rags get dirty. When we wash clothes, the water gets dirty. Is there anything that cleans something else without itself getting dirty?
Mary was amazed at the angel’s words, and she worshipped God. What was it that amazed her and why did it lead her to worship? Let’s look at that today.
At times throughout history people have cried out “Long live the King!” Why would they do that? Are they just trying to compliment the current King, so that he will be kind to them? Has there ever been, or will there ever be, a time when it is right to cry out – “Long live the King!”?
Jesus concludes his “sermon on the mount” message with an interesting illustration. He draws two pictures that are very much the same – but there are (2) distinct differences. Let’s listen to him today.
What we want most comes from God alone. When we want anything other than him, we deceive ourselves and miss his blessing.
Pastor John leads a discussion on the role of women in fighting Satan through the entire narrative of the Bible.
Elder Doug Roseman shares the story of the Jesus Healing the Royal Official's Son as part of our "Who's Your One?" kick off series.
What does Jesus want for us after we come to believe in him? Today we look at a prayer from the Apostle Paul, for the believers in Colossae, and we see an outline for how Paul prays for believers, and in it we see what of Jesus wants for his church.
Elder Joe Dubois shares the story of the Jesus & Nicodemus as part of our "Who's Your One?" kick off series.
The harsh realities of life overwhelm us. And rightly so – since we have neither the power nor the resources needed to make it. This is especially true for us before we come to Jesus in faith. But in Jesus we are given a hope that is based on a truth – and this hope does more than help us cope, it produces fruit in our lives. Let’s learn about this hope today.
Elder Phil Blum shares the story of the woman at the well, as part of our "Who's Your One?" series.
We love peacemakers. We want to be peacemakers. But often fail to consider what it takes. What is the heart attitude of the peacemaker? How are they able to do their work? Today we look at what Jesus has to say about it.
Elder Joel Morgan shares the story of Zacchaeus as part of our "Who's Your One?" kick off series.
We want to be evangelistic. Jesus as our bridegroom deserves the glory of his people, his bride, telling others about his love and inviting them to the great wedding of the Lamb too. But we are often afraid, because there is opposition in this world, and we often feel so weak. What would Jesus have us do? Let’s think about that today.
The Bible teaches us to praise God. Not only do the stories and promises found there give us good reasons to praise God, he himself tells us to praise him. Why is praise so important for us? Let’s learn about that today as we study Psalm 66.
"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ..."
We've been learning how important it is to set our hearts on the right treasure - namely, on Jesus himself. But is that enough? Does he really satisfy? King David thinks so. Let's study his reasons from Psalm 63
We’ve been learning a lot in the past few weeks about our heart’s greatest treasures. Jesus tells us to ‘store up treasure in heaven’, the 10 commandments tell us ‘not to covet’. And now, Jesus’ teaching continues with his instruction – ‘do not worry’. What does this say about our hearts?
Why is it that as soon as another child has a particular toy, it becomes “the toy” of the sand box? Something evil within us that drives us to want what someone else has more than all the other toys in the sand box. God tells us to not covet. But how can we escape it?
On the evening of July 25, 2021, our VBS Volunteer Team gathered to encourage one another and praise God for all the things he did at our Vacation Bible School in June. We also spent time commissioning the teens from St. Johns First Baptist Church who are running their own VBS this coming week.
We often tell ourselves that we do not love what we really do love – we’re too ashamed. But, in the end, our heart always tells the truth. Jesus knows that – he made us that way. Let’s listen to him today.
God receives glory through the ultimate suffering of Jesus, and God also receives glory when his children trust him and persevere through times of suffering. There is much we can do to help us persevere when we face suffering. Today we look at another example from the life of David, and the power of lifting our eyes.
What is wrong with a little “white lie”? What harm does it do? If we understood the harm – whenever the truth is compromised, or a lie prevails, would we see it as “no harm”? God tells us to speak the truth in love. We need to care about the truth as much as he does.
Another in a series on Prayers of the Bible, this time we study and pray through the prayers found in the book of Colossians.
Why do we do what we do? What are our strongest motivations? What should motivate us the most? Jesus has some ideas about that.
Our lives show who and what we love. We cannot hide it – our true loves are demonstrated. Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”. Today we look at the story of Jonathon and David – and we see where their hearts were. May we love Jesus like this.
Phil & Alana share about their ministry at The Pines, a refuge for South African orphans.
We care what other people think and say about us. When they attack us, fears overwhelm us. But followers of Jesus find hope in these difficult situations. We have reasons to not be afraid.
God honors the idea of private property. His command prohibits stealing. But he also wants us to understand the nature of his giving grace. He wants us to be generous.
God wants us to live in a way that pleases him. What exactly is that way? Let us learn about it from Jesus today.
A recording of the group's discussion of June 6's sermon "Clean Garments for the High Priest" by Pastor John Dubois.
This is a recording of the group's discussion of May 30's sermon "You are Opposed" preached by Dan Dubois.
We cannot save ourselves. God does the work, and therefore there is confidence and hope.
When we follow Jesus, we also must engage his enemies. We know that our own selfishness is a powerful and persistent enemy, and Jesus teaches how to put that enemy to death. But, there are also external enemies to Jesus – this world’s systems and the evil one himself. Today we look at how God equips us for this kind of spiritual warfare.
Speaker: Dan Dubois
Some things simply cannot be hidden. You cannot hide salt in a recipe, you cannot hide a well-lit city on a hill. Jesus uses the metaphors of “salt” and “light” to tell us about who we are in his world, and he tells us to neither lose nor hide his work in our lives.
The first in a series on Jesus' final prayers, in reverse order. Speaker: Pastor John Dubois
God cares about what we do with our bodies. God cares with what we do with the promises that we make. In today’s message we see both concerns come together in the 7th commandment – “You Shall Not Commit Adultery”.
This is a recording of our in-person BFG Discussion group, discussing May 9's sermon, "When We Feel Betrayed"
Are any sufferings as difficult as betrayal? Not only do we lose an intimate friend, but that friend makes themself our enemy, using the secrets of our friendship as weapons against us. Jesus knows exactly what that feels like. Today we see it in David’s life through Psalm 55.
This week, we held our first in-person BFG discussion as a group, so this week's midweek podcast is a recording of that. We discussed 5/2/21's sermon, "The LORD Will Provide"
Today’s message shows not only what Jesus did to provide for our salvation, but also what the Father did to give his one and only Son to provide for that salvation. Today we walk with Abraham and Isaac as they ascend the mountain.
The group applies the principles for judging conspiracy theories on the event of Jesus's resurrection.
In the 10 Commandments we have been learning that we need to regard God as holy, and we are also to regard as holy those things that God regards as holy. Today we discover another thing that is holy to God – human life.
The group weighs other principles applied to testing conspiracy theories against biblical examples.
This week, Pastor John returns to his series on the book of Matthew: "King from Heaven." Picking up in Matthew 5, Pastor John examines the beatitudes, and how they demonstrate salvation.
Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss last Sunday's sermon, "Naaman the Leper" (4/12/21)
The Bible contains several noteworthy occasions where our wealth and our souls are weighed against each other in the balance. Today we study the story is about Naaman the leper to learn more about these tradeoffs.
How do you choose which religion or non-religion you will accept? So often our decision is based on which teachings move us personally and which ones make the most sense. But, is that the best method for making this life or death decision? Today we study Paul’s first recorded message to see what he learned on this topic.
Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss some other implications of the 5th commandment, "Honor your Father and Mother"
The Scriptures tell us that God knows all things and that his plan is perfect. So, by implication, God also knows what our lives would have been like had he placed us into his plan at a different time or place – but he chose our current reality as the best of all possible realities. Today we consider one of the most significant implications of this truth about our Sovereign God – our relationship with our parents.
This week, Pastor John and Becki Watson discussed the second part of the "Qualifications for Leaders" series, as preached on Sunday, March 21.
Last week we learned about some foundational characteristics that should be present in the lives of church leaders. Today we will look at the rest of the qualifications that we find in the Bible. It is important to know what Jesus requires of the leaders of his church.
Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss last week's sermon, which was team-taught by three of our Elders. Also, John and Becki have inarticulate and unprofessional oration about whether it's important to be articulate and professional when you orate.
Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and those who serve as under-shepherds in the church are given both a serious responsibility and a great privilege. Today, several of our own church leaders will share from God’s Word about the Biblical qualifications for leadership. We want to be faithful as we select the leaders who will serve Jesus and his church well.
Everyone feels drawn to the idea that things are hopeless. Can you identify? This week, Pastor John examines how we feel this way, and why we need to let go of our hopelessness.
The Bible uses several metaphors to describe the relationship between Jesus and his people. We are sheep, and he is the Good Shepherd who gives his life up for his sheep. We are his body, and he is the head. Today we focus on perhaps the sweetest metaphor – he is the bridegroom, and we are his bride.
This week, Pastor John tackles the complicated and important topic of "The Christian American and Voting". How would you respond to someone who argued that a vote for a particular candidate was a vote for Satan? What do Christians need to consider when they interact with brothers and sisters who disagree with them on politics?
This week Pastor John and Becki Watson are joined by Donna Bos to discuss last Sunday's sermon, "Remember the Sabbath Day". Also, at one point, John and Becki forget the difference between the GDP and GNP.
Why would God care whether we rested or not? Why would there even be a commandment to “not work”? Let’s talk about it today.
In this 4th sermon on the topic of Gospel Centered living, Pastor John talks about the paradigm shifting reality of grace.
This week Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss last Sunday's sermon, "The Sermon on the Mount," but some discussion of last week's evening service sermon sneaks in too. Also, Tim Keller was mentioned, so mark that off your bingo card. ;)
The teaching of Jesus is extraordinary. The “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7 continues to amaze believers and skeptics alike. Jesus truly is a good teacher.
But he is more than a just a good teacher. The teachings of Jesus come with authority. We cannot reject his teachings without at the same time rejecting his authority – and we know it.
In this third message on the topic of Gospel Centeredness, Pastor John seeks to answer the question, "How exactly does grace work?"
Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss February 14's sermon, "A Great Light" by seeking to pull out what it looks like when a person worships Jesus as king.
Jesus is the King. Out text for today’s message helps us see his identity, his message, his call in our lives, his good news, and his decisions to heal.
But it all starts with a subtle reminder of the King’s road.
On Sunday evening, February 7, Pastor John shared the second part of his message last week on Gospel Centered Ministry.
This week Becki Watson and Pastor John discuss February 7's sermon, "A Silver Cup in a Sack".
*Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
Sacrificial love runs through the Bible as a major theme. Today we look at one of the early stories of this kind of love, from the Joseph story, and it leads to a kingship.*
On Sunday evening, January 31, Pastor John shared his personal journey in learning what "Gospel Centered Ministry" really looked like.
This week, Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss January 31, 2021's sermon, "The Testing in the Wilderness".
In a conflict with an enemy, if we do not know what their strategy is or where the battle lines are, we will most often be defeated.
In our spiritual lives this is especially true.
But when we see what the Gospel is doing, then we also able to understand where the battle lines really are, and we then can find victory in the truth that Jesus gives.
In the second of this two part message, Pastor John lays out the board's new vision for itself, and what you can do to help.
This week, Becki Watson and Pastor John Dubois are joined by Katie Morgan to discuss the 1/24/21 sermon, "Do Not Misuse God's Name".
God cares about what we say. He cares about the words that we use. Jesus says that by our words we will be acquitted and by our words we will be condemned. (Matthew 12:37)
Today, we learn that God especially cares about how we use his name.
In this first part of a two part message on our church board, Pastor John talks about "How the Board Got Weak."
This week Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss January 17's sermon, "The Baptism of Jesus".
The claims of Jesus are singularly unique. He is either God as he claimed, or he is terribly evil. We must deal with him one way or the other – there is no middle ground.
Since Jesus is God, we must consider the content and weight of his message – and there is a lot of talk about a Kingdom.
Today we start to learn about that Kingdom through the introduction of Jesus’ public ministry and the nature of his first public act – his baptism.
In this first Sunday Night Church message, Pastor John lays out the reasoning for this new service and what can you expect if you choose to participate.
This week, Pastor John couldn't attend our recording, so Becki Watson is joined by Marj Kopp to discuss last Sunday's sermon, "The Judge."
What does He need me to do? What do I need Him to do?
According to Psalm 50, how we answer those two questions makes all the difference.
This week, Pastor John and Becki Watson are joined by Trish Torres to discuss January 3's sermon, "Jonah and the Huge Fish".
Show Notes:
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Tim Keller's series on Jonah
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Unfortunately Colby Hetcel's sermon on Jonah is not on our podcast feed... it was too long ago. Here's Colby's last sermon at our church instead: "Othniel the Ordinary" (from 11/25/19)
The story of Jonah and the huge fish is another famous story of the Bible that is known by many people – even those who do not believe that the Bible is God’s Word. For that matter, the story is of a man being swallowed by a huge fish and living in its belly for three days is often used as proof that the Bible cannot possibly be true.
But, Jesus refers to the sign of Jonah as one of the great proofs of his claims to be God’s son who will rise from the dead. Jesus saw himself in the Jonah story – lets see if we can find him in that story as well.
Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss December 27's sermon, "Do Not Make an Image of God"
How do you feel when someone treats you like an object – as if you are a tool to be used or merely property?
In giving us the 10 commandments, God says that when we craft an object – a “graven image” - that we then use to replace or represent him as God, that we are hating him. We are treating the Creator like a creature – and he will not let that sin go unpunished.
In this message from Exodus 20 we focus on the meaning of the 2ndcommandment, “Do not make an image of God…”.
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
This week, Becki Watson and Pastor John discuss last week's sermon, and in particular, they tackle the question, "Does knowing more things make you a better Christian?"
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
Today, Pastor John will be preaching on the “The Magi from the East”, which is the second sermon in his series on the book of Matthew, “The King from Heaven.”
How did the Wise Men know what was going on? Were they the only ones in the world who saw the star and knew what it meant?
What if there is something like that going on today? Are we supposed to know about it?
Let’s think about it as we consider this part of the Christmas story – the Magi from the East
External Links:
- "Home for the Holiday" Christmas Program
- Our YouTube Channel
- Our Website
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
This week, Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss Pastor John's December 13 sermon, "Joseph" (Matthew 1-2). The article Becki references can be found here.
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
When we watch a Christmas pageant, we expect to see several prominent characters. For sure Mary, the angels, the shepherds, and usually the Wise Men. There are supporting roles that also must be there – Joseph and the Inn Keeper for example – but they rarely have speaking parts. In more comprehensive presentations, we might even see Zechariah and Elizabeth, King Herod – and maybe even Simeon and Anna!
Joseph certainly has a prominent role – he is in a lot of scenes. But he never says a word. At least not according to the original “script” in the Bible.
Today we look at Joseph’s role specifically – how does he fit into the Christmas story – in God’s plan for saving the world?
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
This week, Pastor John and Becki Watson are joined by Steve Kopp to discuss Pastor John's sermon from December 6, "David & Goliath".
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, please visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, please visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, please visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
Is there any Bible story more famous than the story of David and Goliath? The story about a little boy who overcame a giant enemy. What an inspirational story of courage!
But is it a story just about David’s courage? What else is going on in the story, and where do we see Jesus? Let’s talk about it.
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, please visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, please visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah, please visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
For more information on our 2020 Advent Reading plan, please visit wpbiblefellowship.org/advent
This week, Pastor John and Becki Watson are joined by Josh Brewster to discuss his November 29 sermon, "The Entrepreneur, the surly Crowd and the Benefactor" on Luke 19.
For the next 24 days leading up until Christmas, this podcast feed will feature readings from the book of Isaiah that will drop each morning at 6:00 a.m. For more information about our Advent Reading Plan through the book of Isaiah visit our website and click on Bible Studies.
Today’s reading is Isaiah 1:1-6
Biblical passages are both complex and simple in nature. There are many interconnected layers to every passage.
This week we look at the story of Zacchaeus from a different angle and experience how Jesus challenges all with his subversion.
In this midweek podcast episode, Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss November 22's sermon, "No Other Gods."
Have you ever heard someone say, “…get out of my face!”, or “…get that thing out of my face!”?
We understand that expression. We know what it feels like to be confronted with something so repulsive that we want it “out of our face”. There is no hedging or debate. It is all or nothing. We want it out of our face.
Did you know that God feels that way sometimes?
In today’s message from our series on the 10 Commandments, we look at something in particular that God never wants “in his face.”.
Pastor John and Becki Watson discuss November 15th's sermon, "The Splendors of Wealth" from Psalm 49.
Have you ever wondered why we melt in the presence of a celebrity? Why are we intimidated by the rich? Why do we ascribe so much power to the wealthy?
Psalm 49 poses these questions as a riddle and teaches us why we can live in a different way.
On Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship's inaugural midweek podcast, Becki Watson and Pastor John discuss last week's sermon, "The LORD Most High" on Psalm 47.
The Bible indicates that a person can be so overwhelmed with joy that they cannot help but burst in to singing.
Have you ever been that full of joy? Is there anything that can so move you that you cannot help but break into song?
What would it take to make us that joyful? Let’s talk about it today as we study Psalm 47.
Have you ever received a medal or something like a “merit badge”? We give those kinds of things to honor a person’s skill or a noble act of courage. Such an honor can be a great blessing, and an affirmation of a job well done.
Will Jesus give us a medal some day? Is that what it is all about?
Today we think about one of the great stories of the Bible – often called the story of “The Fiery Furnace”. Many of us have heard hit dozens of times. Today’s question is, “where is Jesus in the story?”
Religious people expend intense human efforts to please God by meeting his requirements – by obeying his laws and making sacrifices. Non-religious people ignore God and his laws and live their own way – by doing what is right in their own eyes.
Neither of those are Christianity.
Christianity recognizes that we are sinners and that we cannot meet the requirements of God’s law. But a perfect One already has – the Lord Jesus. In, from, and through his love for us, Jesus meets the requirements of God’s law and takes the punishment for our sin and offers us his free salvation by his grace. Through trusting Jesus, we respond to his gift of grace and are saved! This salvation transforms our relationship with God’s law.
“God called us out of slavery… therefore you shall…”
Today’s text talks to us about the “God of Jacob”. What does that phrase mean? What do we learn about God from the story of Jacob, and why is it such an encouragement to us today?
Last week Jesus asked us a question of first importance: "Who do you say that I am?" Now we move to another question of first importance: What does it mean to follow Jesus? Jesus teaches that following him has a cost, but that it is a cost well worth paying.
We have to make a lot of crucial decisions in life:
What field of work will I go into? Will I marry, and who? Who will I vote for? But one question towers above the rest, and it's the question Jesus asks his disciples in Mark 8:29: Who do you say that I am?
In today's message, we will explore some answers people may give to this question, and the consequences that those answers have.
The story of history, in many ways, is the story of a marriage. Let's learn more about it today in Psalm 45.
The Bible tells me to not fret. I agree, I think it would be great to “not fret”! But how do I do it? How can I get to that kind of quietness in my soul? Let’s learn about it today from Psalm 37.
Often when we say that someone is “talking to themselves”, we mean it in a way that questions that person’s sanity. But, in the Scripture, the skill of learning to “talk to yourself” is an important one. The Psalmist does it all of the time! If that’s the case, then what exactly should we say to our self?
How do you feel when someone is staring at you? Does it make you uncomfortable? What if they could see what you were thinking too? God says that he is watching us and considering everything we do. How can we ever endure such intimate and continuous examination?
According to Romans 13 we should be subject to governing authorities, but the governments authorities are not absolute. In this message we look at five instances where we can or must disobey the governing authorities in order to be subject to the higher authority of God himself.
Why does Jesus perform the same sequence of events? Why did it take so long to heal the blind man? Why do even believers continue to act in selfish ways? Why does our faith sometimes seem to grow so slowly, or move backwards? And, what do we do about all of it?
We need regular encounters with Jesus to help us learn and re-learn what is means to follow him.
In Mark 7:24-30, is Jesus being a jerk? How do we reconcile Jesus's apparent refusal to heal with the "whosoever" of the gospel?
Jesus, as a human, did what humans should have done, so that he can save us from our failure
What does nature tell us about God? How else do we learn about God? How does this knowledge change us?
Short sermon summaries from the book of Mark.
Big Idea: Jesus isn't always who we want or expect him to be, but he is who we need him to be.
Passage: Mark 7:1-23
Nothing that comes into a person can defile them. We're defiled by what we think and do, and what we think and do comes from the heart.
Last words are often most important. How much more so when those words come from the lips of Jesus!
Consider one of the most amazing statements of Jesus on the cross when he quotes Psalm 22:1:
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
But, that’s not where the story ends. It ends with the most profound hope of all – that death is conquered and life is eternal through our relationship with Jesus Christ
Suffering is bad enough, but not knowing how long it is going to last can make it even more difficult to bear.
Interestingly, in Psalm 13, David starts with the question “How long?” – he asks it 4 times! But his question never gets answered, at least not in the way expected.
What does it mean to be "sent out" when we're all staying at home? What is Jesus's mission more generally, and how do we participate in it today?
When we look at the world around us, it’s easy to think that it’s all out of control. Life in this complicated world is full of dangers and stressors.
But for the believer, there is a perspective that we need to remember. God’s perspective.
He is on the throne, and he’s observing everything.
God is wonderfully glorious in all his works and ways. There are many reasons to offer him praise.
In this message, as we study Psalm 8 together, we consider the specific reasons that led King David to sing, "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
God judged Judah's Kings based on a standard of justice. He judges our leaders based on a standard of Justice. He calls us to use our influence for the good of others.
Jeremiah contains a lot of harsh language of destruction and judgment and Jeremiah 19 has some of the harshest.
We’ll ask some questions of the text: What led to this warning? Had Israel reached a point of no return? Was God’s action justified?
How should we understand and respond to it?
We live in the real world where enemies can be expected. But we also live with the real truth. that God is our shield.
Why did Sabbath matter so much to Jeremiah?
How does his message help us see the gospel?
Jeremiah 17:19-27
Where do you find safety? Maybe it’s your 401k, the locks on your doors, or another person.
What about spiritual safety?
Israel in Jeremiah’s time found safety in rituals, words, and the Temple of the Lord. Jeremiah, as prophets tend to do, aimed to tear away that safety blanket to expose the grave danger they were in.
One could say that ours is the day of choices. How many versions of coffee are there anyway? How many flavors of ice cream? But there are still occasions when there are only two options, when there is either this or that. And sometimes these choices are the most important of all.
Sunday's Sermon (1/12/2020) wasn't recorded. In this message, Pastor Steve shares a recap of a memorial service sermon he conducted over the weekend. In it he contrasts, first, the story of naturalism and the story told in the Scriptures. Second, he contrasts the story of Adam, that leads to death, and the story of Christ, that leads to life. Key texts are Romans 5 and Revelation 21.
Text: Mark 5:1-43
Are you ready to take life by the horns and make 2020 your year? Are you ready to get control back of your home, your health, your relationships, and your job? What happens if that doesn’t work out? What happens when our best plans crumble or when the unexpected happens? Where is Jesus when life is out of control?
Text: Mark 4;35-41
A lack of faith leads to fear.
Faith calms our fears.
Faith teaches us how to respond to our fears.
Faith means recognizing the presence and power of Jesus.
Awe plus faith casts out our fears.
Is there anyone who can truly give a gift? Is God able to truly give, or does he need or seek something in return? How is it that God is able to give?
"Where this is faith, there is nothing that can stop us."
Is that a true statement? It depends on what you're trusting.
Text: 1 Corinthians 15
Text: 1 Peter 4:7-11
How does God manifest his grace to us? One way is through giving us spiritual gifts.
How do we manifest God's grace to others? One way is through using the gifts he gives us to serve others.
“Uh oh. The pastor is talking about money today.”
Yes, it can be an uncomfortable topic, but for Paul, generosity was a key part of following Jesus.
Why? Because the gospel is a story of a gift, of grace and, in giving, we get to mirror the actions of our Savior.
Who will God use to defeat The Dark King of Double Wickedness?
Othniel the Ordinary
Text: Judges 3:7-11
What is God doing in your life?
Where does He want to take you?
What result is He pursuing?
The answer to those questions is important.
What does God want us to do for one another as part of the same church?
The answer to that last question depends on the answer to the first ones.
What is the connection between the freedom we receive in Christ and the Christian pursuit of justice for those under social oppression?
This message explores that question by looking at the movements of Scripture from freedom to slavery and slavery to freedom, landing finally in Galatians 5.
1) All truth is a gift
2) God's Word, in Scripture and Christ, is a gift
3) We receive truth through faith, which involves active pursuit
4) We share the gospel
5) We pursue truth everywhere
The church is comprised of God’s people, but it’s more than an organization. The Bible describes it as a body. But, more than just any body, it’s Jesus’ body!
Text: 1 Corinthians 12
Is there a wrong way to do a Communion Service?
What are we supposed to think about during a Communion Service?
What does it mean to take the Lord's supper in an unworthy manner?
Text: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
We receive many good gifts from God, but life is also filled with much pain and sorrow. That pain has the power to make us bitter, and that bitterness can seep out in our relationships with other people.
David Brooks says that “pain that is not transformed is transmitted.” If that’s true, then how can the pain we all experience be transformed?
Peter spoke to a congregation experiencing severe trials, but he saw in those trials the possibility of redemption.
Both the religious world and the secular world can be unforgiving places: “Adhere to the external standards or you don’t belong. Fail, and don’t expect a second chance.”
But God is “rich in mercy.” He loves to give it away, an offer of free grace, to those who don’t deserve it.
Christians are those who have received mercy. And, having received it, extend it to others.
Did you know that angels are attracted to women?
Did you know that angels once came to earth and had mighty descendants through human women?
Well, neither of those statements are true – but a lot of people think those kinds of things are in the Bible!
Where do those ideas come from? Let’s talk about that today, as we look at the often confusing text about women wearing head coverings in church.
John 15:1-17
We need to receive grace upon salvation, but God keeps giving us gifts in Jesus. Receiving grace comes from daily abiding in Jesus.
When we abide in Jesus, we will bear spiritual fruit, which is a “natural” process of the supernatural life.
What does it mean to remain in Jesus? What does it mean to bear fruit?
This is the sermon in a series by the same name. In this sermon, we focus on the nature of grace, and the God of grace, in the book of Ephesians.
Text: Hosea 1-3
There aren’t many books in the Bible that are more “R-rated” than Hosea. It’s ugly. It’s shocking. But that’s the point!
The prophet Hosea’s life, while rather scandalous, can teach us a whole lot about sin, unfaithfulness, and the absolutely unrelenting love of God. So, while it might be a bit embarrassing to modern sensibilities, let’s dive into the book of Hosea and see what it can teach us today.
Christians are a people of the truth. We stake a lot on things that we believe are absolutely true.
But what if another believer thinks differently about something that we think is important? Are we both right? Is there more than one truth?
How do we agree to disagree?
Let’s talk about disputable matters like this today as we study God’s Word from 1 Corinthians.
Text: 1 Cor 8:1-11:1
It can be easy to get discouraged. Prominent leaders fall away. A majority of churches declining. We have personal struggles and failures.
Christians confess that God is always at work in the world, but sometimes we see what appears to be counter evidence. Instead of progress, we see what looks like regression.
The parables in Mark show us the inevitability of God's work through Jesus = but they also show us the mysterious and surprising ways in which he works.
Under what conditions is it Ok to break up a marriage? What does God want us to think about separations and divorce?
Text: 1 Corinthians 7:10-24
God is at work in Jesus: Bringing the life of God's reign, calling followers into his presence, forming a new people.
How will we respond to this movement? Will we be open to his words or will we dismiss him as dangerous or crazy?
Text: Mark 3:7-35
Becki Watson reports on this past week's Vacation Bible School (i.e., Young Travelers).
Our God is so big!
Is it good to be single? Is it good to be married? Which is better?
In this sermon, Pastor John looks at Paul's instructions to the Corinthian church on the matters of singleness and marriage.
Text: 1 Corinthians 7:1-9; 25-40
"Idolatry." Outside of a religious context, this word is mostly meaningless. Even in religious circles it can be ambiguous. But getting a handle on idolatry matters for faith. We need to be able to identify idols so that we can truly worship the Creator God and so that we can be freed from the sway of their power.
Text: Jeremiah 10:1-16
Jeremiah 6:16
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls. "
Did you know that it’s possible to go to church, to pray, and to regularly read your Bible but not actually have saving faith in Jesus? Especially in a place like West Michigan, it is relatively easy to adopt the culture of Christianity while denying Christ at a heart-level.
The prophet Micah has a bit to say about this. Let’s see what his book might say to us today.
Text: Micah 6:1-8
Are all sins the same? Are some sins worse than others?
Sometimes we emphasize how heinous some sins are, but sometimes we emphasize that we’re all guilty before God? Which is it? Do we have to choose?
In this message we look to the prophet Jeremiah for insight. He has words for the entire sin, but he calls out a select group. In the end, we rejoice that God is the God of justice and mercy.
Title: The Nature of Judgment
Text: Jeremiah 4:5-31
Wrath. The fierce anger of the Lord. Judgment and destruction.
What emotions emerge when you read these words and phrases? Do they make you uncomfortable? Embarrassed? Defensive?
In this sermon, we look more closely at the nature of judgment. Can judgment be "good news"? In what way? We try to clear away misunderstandings while, at the same time, taking the harsh language of Jeremiah's plea to Wake Up!
Text: 1 Corinthians 6:9-20
"My own body; Sometimes I love it. Most of the time I hate it.
Sometimes I control it. Often it controls me!"
What does God think about our bodies? Does he love them? Does what we do with and to our bodies matter to him?
In this message study what God has to say about our bodies.
Is it Ok to allow someone else to win, even if they cheat to do so?
Is it Ok to let someone take something from us that does not belong to them?
What if that person is a fellow believer? Shouldn’t they be brought to justice?
Maybe not! Let’s think about this today as we consider another difficult situation in the Corinthian church.
Text: 1 Corinthians 6:1-8
Speaker: John Dubois
Text: 1 Corinthians 5
Since Jesus forgives all of our sins, even the ones that we will commit in the future, why should we take sin so seriously?
Is it really a big deal?
What about God’s grace? Doesn’t grace cover everything?
Text: Jeremiah 3:1-4:4
Series: Jeremiah - The Exchange
Outline: (1) God's love is radical (2) Because of his live, he calls us to repent (3) When we repent, he saves and he restores (4) So repent, not just with words, but with your heart.
It's crazy to trade God for anything else.
The people of Jerusalem traded Everything for Nothing, the Living water for broken cisterns, sonship for slavery, salvation for destruction, and their faithful husband for faithless lovers. In short, they traded the glorious presence of God for worthless idols.
Have we made the same exchange? Is there a remedy?
Text: Jeremiah 2:1-3:5
We live in a time when everyone has a voice and every idea is regarded as equally valid and worthwhile.
But, is that true?
Paul’s words are weightier than others (or even ours), not because he is a better person (even though he might be), but because of who he is speaking for, as an apostle.
Does pride really come before a fall? According to Obadiah it does.
It is somewhat ironic that the smallest book in the Old Testament deals with a nation that had one of the biggest egos. Edom’s pride and arrogance, especially against Israel, was very much unwarranted. And this prophet promises that Edom will not have reason to boast for long.
But what can Obadiah teach us about our pride today? Let’s find out together.
What makes us feel important?
How do we know that we’re doing well in our lives?
Whose approval really matters?
Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Pastor John and Pastor Steve spent some time answer questions about Easter. What are the best arguments for the resurrection? How would you respond to some of the objections? If Jesus's death paid for our sins, why does it matter that Jesus was raised?
In a world often devoid of peace, and full of counterfeit offers, we meet Jesus, the King on a mission of peace.
He achieves that peace in a surprising way: Through sacrifice.
How will we respond to this King? Will we suppress Him? Will we fail to see Him? Or will we rejoice that He has come to set all things right? Here's the good news: Jesus will be praised, and we can join in the praise of all creation.
Text: Luke 19:28-44
Does it matter how we live?
If Jesus forgives all of our sin, and we’re already perfect in Christ (which we are), then what difference does it make how I live my live now?
We know that we love Jesus, and we do want to please him out of our gratitude for what he has done for us. But is there anything more than that?
Text: 1 Corinthians 3
God has given us rest as a way to preserve our lives. Jesus saw the Sabbath as a good gift of God for our flourishing. He did not break the Sabbath law. He fulfilled it. As the one who fulfilled the law, he is able to give and save life.
Passage: Mark 2:23-3:6
The prophet Amos makes his way to Bethel, the city at the heart of the Northern Kingdom’s religious and political power, and he begins pronouncing judgement on all of Israel’s neighbors. But he does not stop there. At the climax of his judgement-list lies the harshest judgement of them all, and that one was pointed directly at Israel itself.
However, if the people of Israel turn from their injustice and seek YHWH once again, they will find life and redemption.
Date: 3/24/2019
Speaker: Colby Hetcel
Text: Amos
Text: 1 Cor 2:6-16
Is there anything that you can’t learn if you study really hard?
Is it possible for something to be so clear that even a child can understand it, and yet a mature and educated adult cannot understand at all?
That’s exactly the way it is. Let’s learn more about it today.
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5
We’re often afraid to share our faith with our neighbors. And if feels like there’s good reasons to be afraid, because what we have to say about Jesus really seems like foolishness – especially in the eyes of the unbeliever. But, that’s one of the things that makes the Gospel so beautiful! It is foolish to people, but it’s also the wisdom and power of God!
Let’s see how that is true as we study together today in 1 Corinthians.
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17
People often disappoint us.
Sometimes we’re disappointed when we see a Christian leader behave in competitive or jealous ways. It can really hurt our feelings.
Or, if a gifted and loved leader falls morally, we’re also deeply wounded and grieved.
These kinds of tragedies can almost ruin our faith! But God wants us to follow Jesus alone.
What happens when we divide the world into groups: Two types of people, the "good guys" and the "bad guys"? In this short story from Mark, Jesus both challenges the Pharisees tendency to do this, and provides us with a different lens by which to view the world and our relationship to him.
Text: Mark 2:1-12
Title: The Son of Man
Date: 2/10/2019
Quiz: Finish these lines: “Luke, I am your…” “Four score and …” “Life, liberty, and…” “I’ll never let go, Jack…”
Pop culture is steeped in iconic quotes and imagery. We can say just a few words of a speech or a movie and a whole world comes into view.
Now try this one… “The son of man has authority to…”
For people in Jesus’s day, the expression “son of man” called to mind fantastic images and supernatural hope.
This message explores what the phrase "son of man" has to do with Jesus' identity and mission, and our identity and mission.
At the end of this week, WPBF will be sending a team from our church to serve at The Pines Orphanage in South Africa. In preparation for the trip the team members have been sharing their testimonies and how that fits into this mission trip. This Sunday we got to hear from Darwin Buist.
What can we know for sure?
Can we be certain about anything?
The Bible certainly says so.
This message starts a new series in the book of 1 Corinthians.
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
You are invited to join our church for worship Sunday mornings at 9:30 at 2260 Porter St. SW, Wyoming, MI 49519
www.wpbiblefellowship.org
Genesis 22 is the heart-wrenching story of Abraham's near sacrifice of his dearly loved son Isaac. On the mountain, God provided a sacrifice of his own. He spared Abraham's son.
From here we can look through the lens of Genesis 22 to the story of Jesus where, on another mountain God again provided a sacrifice not sparing his own dearly loved Son. In this sermon we look at the cost of the cross to the Father, the cost to the Son, the cost to the believer, and the help of the Spirit.
http://www.wpbiblefellowship.org/
Text: Zechariah 3
Zechariah is a weird book. There’s flying scrolls, angelic visitations, bizarre dreams in the night, and Satan himself even makes an appearance. At first glance, this Minor Prophet might seem more like reading a science fiction novel than scripture. However, Zechariah is one of the most quoted books in the New Testament. It might be odd, but it has a lot of important things to say about God’s grace and the work of the Messiah.
Jesus comes as the Messianic King proclaiming the nearness of the Kingdom of God. This immediately sets him in conflict with rival kingdoms, those who have set themselves up in opposition to God. In this sermon on Mark 1:21-40, we see how Jesus shows his power over one of those rival kingdoms - the demonic spiritual world.
Date: 11/13/2019
Series: The Book of Mark: Jesus in Conflict
How can we get the results we’re looking for? Are results guaranteed if we follow the right formula, or are they basically random, the products of a world completely outside of our control?
Asked theologically, does the outcome depend on us or does it only depend on God’s sovereignty?
In this message we explore the biblical metaphor of gardening to shed light on these questions. We ask what this means for us personally, and what it means for us as a church.
Sermon date: 1/6/2019. Speaker: Steven Kopp. Primary text: 1 Corinthians 3:5-15.
Jesus' followers are unified in the gospel, in essence, in purpose, and in love.
Text: John 17:20-23
We know so much of the Christmas story from carols and story books.
But, are those things really in the Bible? What parts of the story do we know for sure, and what parts of the story have been added on by traditions?
It often seems like our lives are out of control. We don’t understand why things happen to us.
It is helpful to remember that God is in control of all things, and he is working in all things for his purposes and the maturity of believers.
We can see this hand of God in Abraham’s life from the stories in Genesis 20-21.
Jeremiah was given the task of sharing some very bad news with Israel: armies were about to pour in from the north to bring about unparalleled destruction. But he also brings a message of hope and restoration, of a great reversal that will happen… in God’s time. In this exposition of Jeremiah 1:10-16 we look at how Jeremiah's message of destruction and hope, uprooting and replanting, demolition and reconstruction, work together, and how both point to Jesus.
God doesn't always ask us to do easy things. Sometimes he asks us to do things that threaten our comfort, security, or approval of others.
The call of Jeremiah is unique, but it also gives us a pattern of responding to the costly call of following God.
"Do I need to forgive someone right away?"
This post is Pastor Steve's attempt to answer the question above. It depends a little on what we mean by forgiveness. Do we mean releasing internal anger and hurt, or restoring a relationship, or both? What if it's not possible to restore the relationship? Does the nature of the relationship need to stay the same?
The phrase “Love Wins” has a lot of traction in our culture today. It represents the idea that in the end, God’s love will overcome anything and everything else in order to bring us good.
Is that what it means when the Bible says, “God is love”?
Have you ever doubted that you were saved? What do we do with those kinds of doubts? Can we really know for sure? This sermon looks at what the book of 1 John has to say about these important questions.
Have you ever been excited for something to happen that didn’t quite live up to your expectations? At home? At church?
The people in Haggai’s day were excited to return to their land after 70 years in exile. But when they returned, their expectations were not met. And because of it, they responded with disobedience.
How do we respond to disappointment, and what can Haggai teach us about this today?
This sermon explores the series of decisions and events that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah.
As the Assyrians raided the land once again and sent the people into exile they would have asked, "how did we get here?" The author of Kings wants us to know the answer to that question.
Reform: To make a change for the better. Israel’s history is bleak: A divided kingdom, unrelenting pressure from violent neighbors, and a long series of corrupt kings. But there were a few bright spots too: Kings that brought much needed reform. Could these kings save Israel? What can we learn from their example?
This sermon summarizes the reigns of Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
Are we even able to do good works at all? Do our works ever please God? It depends. Let’s think about it today.
Title: The Work of Jesus Text: 1 John Series: 1 John - Assurance Speaker: John Dubois Date: 10/14/2018
Title: Follow Me Text: Mark 1:14-20 Series: Mark: Prepare Speaker: Steven Kopp Date: 10/7/2018
Title: The Nature of Sin Series: 1 John - Assurance Text: 1 John Speaker: John Dubois Date: 9/23/2018
Title: Baptism and Temptation Series: Mark - Prepare Text: Mark 1:9-15 Date: 9/16/2018 Speaker: Steven Kopp
Title: Special Fellowship with God Series: 1 John - Assurance Text: 1 John Date: 8/5/2018
Sermon Title: Jesus, Messiah Text: Mark 1:1 Summary: Jesus isn't always who we expect or want him to be, be He is exactly what we need him to be.
Text: 1 John 1:1-4. Series: 1 John: Assurance Speaker: John Dubois
The coming of Jesus, into the world, is the greatest good news of all.
Jesus came clearly and tangibly. His followers really saw him and heard him in time and space. They touched him, and he was really there!
The basis for our faith is grounded in the certain reality of the coming of Jesus.
We therefore have great confidence in God through Jesus.
Pastor Steve's first sermon in his series on the book of Jeremiah. This sermon examines the Northern Kingdom's road to destruction and exile. It serves as a warning for us today and establishes the context for Jeremiah's prophetic word to Judah.